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Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site, are two stunning displays of Croatia waterfalls. Beyond the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea, hundreds of coastal islands and the storied history of cities like Split ad Debrovnik, many visitors have Croatia waterfalls on their list of must see attractions while visiting the country. And for good reason: they are simply stunning and unique.
But these attractions are also very popular, so what follows is an insiders experience and tips on navigating a memorable day at Krka and Plitvice Lakes National Parks.
Krka National Park: beautiful croatia waterfalls
Krka National Park is a magical place to experience the beauty of Croatia waterfalls. With gorges and cliffs and a river running through a karstic canyon, the park spans from the Adriatic near Sibenik inland to the mountains of the Croatian interior.
The star of this scenic park is the Krka River itself, rushing through canyons, broadening into lakes and splashing over numerous waterfalls and cascades.
Photo: Lucian Photography
The park is one of two top spots to see Croatia waterfalls, and as a result, has become a very popular tourist destination. Krka National Park has five main entrances: Lozovac (the main one), Krka Monastery, Burnum and Roski Slap.
There are actually two sides of Krka National Park. The first one is what you’ll read about in tourist brochures and guide books, featuring the famous Krka waterfalls with wood boardwalks to explore this natural wonder – seven tufa waterfalls of the Krka River. This is where Krka is most frequently photographed, and where tour buses and tour groups flock – accessed by the Lozovac entrance.
The other side of Krka National Park
But there is another area at the north end of Krka National Park, where locals go, and a few tourists find their way in rental cars. The area is called Roski Slap. In this area of Krka National Park, tour buses are not allowed. It’s where the Croatia waterfalls of Krka National Park originate, in a natural state, complete with canyons, gorges, cliffs and a scenic waterway – void of small ferries shuttling visitors to the site, unlike further downstream in the park.
Croatia waterfalls natural beauty
This area of the park has walking paths, hiking trails, and some interpretive signage. There is a small place to grab a bite to eat or cold beer after hiking to the top of the cliff lookout, but it’s a far cry from the over-priced and busy food kiosk and souvenir shops adjacent Krka falls further south. In shoulder season we had the patio at Roski Slap pretty much to ourselves, except for a group of guys who had hiked after work, and were enjoying a beer together. Local kids swim in the river across the way – an activity that is banned further downstream, due to the sheer number of visitors.
If you’re a fan of national parks in their natural state, I’m guessing this second option for viewing Croatia waterfalls at Krka National Park was likely more appealing.
But do keep in mind, the final waterfall on the Krka River, one of seven tufa waterfalls, is the longest tufa barrier in Europe – and the final “big Croatia waterfalls show” when you tour the park from the Lovavac entrance. As much as we advocate going to the Roski Slap area to experience the park in its more natural state, it would be an absolute shame to not also experience the spectacular waterfalls shown at the top of this article.
So let’s take a tour of both locations so you can see what you’ll experience.
What to expect at the Krka National Park Lovavac entrance
The Lovavac entrance is by far the most accessed point into the park. Our day trip to Krka National Park from Sibenik, entered first at the Lozovac entrance, since it was the closest. But frankly, given everything else we had read, this appeared to be the only option.
We arrived early trying to avoid tour buses, and hiked the trail down to the park, rather than accepting the tour bus shuttle included in our ticket. This also allowed us some exercise and to start at our own pace, rather than with an entire bus load. In retrospect, although we knew we needed to be early, we should have been there when the park opened at 8am. This would have allowed at least 2 hours before tour buses from Sebenik would arrive, and 3 hours for cruise ship day trippers coming from Split. It also would have meant arriving before guests coming by small ferry boat from Skradin or Sibenik.
Entrance fee
Entrance compared to Canadian or American National Parks was expensive at 40 Euro each ($60 Cdn), but we shrugged it off in anticipation of a great experience. Unfortunately the Lozovac entrance has exceeded its ability to handle the volume of tour bus guests. We found ourselves caught in an endless parade of people following a wood boardwalk, with little opportunity to pass. Jockeying for photos with out-stretched selfie sticks and a few broadcasting influencers soon put me over the edge.
In addition to arriving at the opening to be the first in, we would suggest heading straight for the waterfalls initially. If you follow the prescribed route along the wood pathway, this crown jewel is saved until the very end. If you sneak a peek at the beginning, you are certain to experience it without others around.
Navigating the wood walkway & bus groups
There are a few opportunities to get off the wood walkway, and we’d encourage you to do that if you find yourself caught in crowds. A short walk up a gravel road within the park to an area overlooking the lake was a welcome reprieve.
Groups also tend to arrive in waves as shuttle buses drop people off. If you can time your walk for a gap between bus arrivals that also may help. But in reality, if it’s a busy day, guests bunch up anyway as they stop to take photos of landmark locations.
The surroundings are beautiful but Krka National Park at the Lozovac entrance has been oversold. Even during shoulder season. When I later voiced my disappointment to a park attendant, she was initially defensive, but then she too admitted what was happening was a shame. Then to my delight, she offered a tip for an alternative – which is what lead us to Roski Slap. Check out the photos and narrative below for that experience. Here’s a summary of tips if you choose to enter Krka National Park at the Lovavac entrance.
Tips to avoid crowds at the Lovavac entrance of Krka National Park
1. Go on your own and not with a tour group
2. Arrive early at park opening – 8am, but check before you go. Depending on the season this could fluctuate.
3. Stay at accommodation close by the entrance, or set that alarm to ensure you arrive at the park opening.
Avoid using the shuttle bus if you’re up to hiking the path
4. Take the hiking trail down rather than the bus shuttle. This will serve three purposes: you’ll get some exercise, you won’t feel like you’re part of the “tour bus scene” and most importantly, you won’t be arriving with a large group to then navigate the wood boardwalk.
5. If you do arrive later, get caught with the tour buses and the cruise ship crowd, leave the park and return in late afternoon. Chances are the tour groups will have departed, since they came on a day trip from Split or Sebinik. Passengers who arrived by small ferry from Sebenik or Skradin will also have departed, since the journey back down the river will take some time. This should allow you to have a little more serenity in this beautiful space.
6. Visit in shoulder or off season – spring, fall or winter. Avoid the peak summer season. But as noted above, even shoulder season can be busy.
7. If you arrive reasonably early in the morning, go to the end of the trail first. Yes, go against the signed directions and visit the jewel at the end first, which is the much photographed Krka falls. As long as you’ve caught it before others who started the journey earlier are coming around to the end, you’ll be OK. Think of it as having desert first.
8. Be mindful of the weather forecast. Sunny days will of course attract more visitors, but so will days that follow heavy rains. Since the waterfalls fall more generously when there has been a lot of rain, this can also provoke higher traffic than usual. Of course, the whole point is to see the Croatia waterfalls in all its glory, so maybe rainfall is what you really want?
What to expect at Krka National Park Roski Slap entrance
By contrast, here is what you’ll experience at Roski Slap during shoulder season – relative peace, few tourists, a natural park environment, ample opportunity for exercise and heart pounding hiking/climbing, plus interpretive exhibits.
Empty walkways, cascading waterfalls throughout the canyon.
Croatia waterfalls at every turn
The seven tufu waterfalls of the Krka River are a natural and karst phenomenon. Skradinski buk, the final waterfall in the Krka River, is the longest tufa barrier in Europe.
Tufa is a porous rock that is formed in flowing waters by the deposition of calcium carbonate (limestone) onto various surfaces, creating barriers, thresholds, beards and other formations. The desposition of tufa a dynamic process involving interactions of physical and chemical factors and living organisms in the water. The majority of tufa in Krka is less than 10,000 years old, but can be seen during the entire river course.
The lookout over the entire region is fabulous, and you get a great perspective on the geography of the area – from the canyon, to the endless waterfalls throughout the park.
There are also interpretive caves at the top of the lookout. Here you can get a sense of Hvar Culture 3900-3300 BC. The Hvar Culture is the youngest of the Neolithic cultures along the shores of the Adriatic Sea and coastal areas. The population of this period lived in settlements and caves, and you can explore inside these caves to further understand their culture.
Be prepared for a work out though. There are 650 stairs leading to the top of the lookout, so if you want to get your steps in, and get your heart pumping, this is the place to do it.
Waterfalls at the base. A great place to grab a cold beer to cool off after climbing those 650 steps to the top, and then making the return to the bottom.
Local kids swim in this area between the waterfalls, and activity prohibited further downstream in the park.
Karlovacka lager will quickly become your go to beer while touring Croatia. It seems to be the beer of choice among locals and guests alike!
The entrance and exit to this Roski Slap gateway into Krka is pretty low key. Since there are no tour buses allowed, all you will find is cars parked. Even the entrance is just a simple kiosk, rather than a massive gateway. It seemed when we were there that most people visiting that day had purchased their ticket elsewhere and were simply validating it for entry. But full day tickets could be purchased, and despite an overall relaxed vibe, there were parks employees checking for tickets further along the path.
Where to stay when visiting Krka National Park
Use this accommodations map to plan your stay closer to the park if you will not be driving over for the day from a coastal city. Alternatively, link here using the search term Krka National Park, Croatia, or nearby town Skradin or slightly more distant city of Sibenik to search for accommodation options during your planned travel dates.
Plitvice Lakes National Park: Croatia waterfalls Unesco World Heritage site
The second Croatia waterfalls that many people visiting Croatia hope to see is Plitvice Lakes National Park. It is by far one of Croatia’s top natural attractions, and the absolute highlight of Croatia’s Adriatic hinterland. This turquoise ribbon of lakes, linked by gushing waterfalls in the forested heart of continental Croatia, is an awe-inspiring sight. So much so, that in 1979 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. The travertine expanses covered with mossy plants divide the multi-colored lakes by hundreds of waterfalls that link them.
Located in the heart of Northern Dalmatia, Plitvice Lakes deserves a full day to take it all in, but half-day trips from Zadar and Zagreb are possible.
Photo: Branimir Klaric
We had planned to visit Plitvice Lakes, but after our overcrowded experience at Krka National Park the previous morning, and doing a bunch of research on how to best avoid the crowds, in the end we ended up altering our plans to spend a week on Pag Island, which was amazing. Link here for more on that _____ (insert Pag link)
I’ve shared here my curated research notes for how to avoid the crowds when visiting Plitvice Lakes National Park
Tips for avoiding crowds at Plitvice Lakes National Park
1. Plitvice is the second most popular tourist sight in Croatia, next to Debrovnik which is #1. Go early. The park opens at 8am. Buses tend to arrive from Zadar and Zagreb by 10am. Try to see as much as you can in that 8-10am window.
2. Day trippers from Zagreb, Zadar and Split tend to depart between 3-5pm. If it gets too busy, simply leave the park and return later in the afternoon. You ticket is valid all day for re-entry.
Split up your day
3. Once tour buses arrive, go for lunch outside the park, and re-enter after they leave. This approach also means you’re there for “golden hour” of sunlight, which is perfect for photos.
4. Entrance #1 can be a zoo in peak hours. You will wrestle likely for views of Veliki Slap (the highest waterfall in the park). Further down from this entrance into the upper lakes, the crowds disperse. So unless you’re early, return later in the day, and enjoy the walk further out where crowds as less.
5. The longest walking route is “Route K”. The whole trail will take 6-8 hours. If you’re game, there’s a good chance others won’t be. And it’s a certainty that tour bus groups will not being going the distance on that one. Walk further and explore the fringes of where others are less apt to visit.
Photo: Damir
Explore croatia waterfalls beyond the entrances
6. Be sure to explore beyond the entrances. That is where crowds will bunch the most.
7. Shoulder season (fall and spring) is less busy than peak season July and August. That said, even shoulder season seems to be busy in Croatia these days. Since kids return to school in September, we saw fewer young families, but more retired folks and adults with flexible travel schedules.
8. Similar to Krka National Park, you’ll be stuck on wood walkways throughout most of the park. Well intended to transport large numbers of people over wetland, while preventing erosion, they are narrow, and there is little opportunity to pass. That will mean you may be bogged down behind slower people. If this happens, take a break and rejoin later in the line. Or just chill. You’re in Croatia after all at an amazing attraction – just take it in and have an attitude adjustment!
9. Swimming is prohibited at Plitvice Lakes, as it is in Krka National Park at the Lovavac entrance. Leave the swimsuit at home, so you don’t have to alter your expectations.
10. There are two main entrances: Entrance #1, the North Entrance is near Rastovaca. Entrance #2, the South Entrance, is near Flitvicka Jezera. Use those place locators if you are searching for accommodation close to either of the entrances to ensure early entry. Bear in mind that the North Entrance, Entrance #1 is the busiest with tour bus groups.
11. If you’re staying in Split and making the day trip, leave at 5am. Or leave at 6am from Zagreb.
Tickets
Entrance fee is 40 Euro (as of September 2024), per person, or 60 Euro for two adults traveling together. The price of entry is not cheap compared to North American standards, but the couple/two adults rate helps if you have a travel companion. Be sure to ask for it, since you might not be given the option unless you do. All day tickets are good for re-entry.
Where to Stay
Use this map to help locate a place to stay closer to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Alternatively, use this link and search terms Plitvice Lakes, Croatia to find accommodation options during your planned travel dates.
National Park site links
More Croatia content
Croatia Vacation: Enjoy the less touristy charms of Pag Island
Things to Do in Hvar: Top 16 list
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